1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for separating cuvettes supplied in bulk form to an analytical instrument. The cuvettes are suitable for the performance of photometric measurements on samples in the cuvettes.
2. Description of the Invention
Automatic analytical instruments usually operate on the principle that analytical samples or parts thereof are placed in measurement cuvettes and then subjected to a series of processing steps such as adding (pipetting) reagents, mixing, incubation etc. the end of processing. The cuvettes containing the analytical samples are placed in a fixed sequence on a conveyor and travel through various processing stations. For batch processing (as is usual in the case of centrifugal analytical instruments), all measuring cuvettes usually are placed on a carrier (rotor) and subjected quasisimultaneously to the processing steps and photometric measurements. Analytical systems operating on these principles provide good service in large clinics and analytical centers where many samples have to be processed.
In view of the variety of possible analyses today and the medical requirements particularly in clinical chemistry, the conventional automatic analyzers for the throughput of large quantities of samples are insufficiently flexible to provide analytical profiles (full random access) specifically adapted to individual patients or clinical pictures.
To obtain the desired high flexibility, a reliable system must be provided in the analytical system for conveying and processing individual measuring cuvettes.
Since the number of measuring cuvettes to be processed is very large, it is desirable to load the instrument with empty cuvettes in bulk form. Before the present invention, the known analytical instruments could not automatically separate the cuvettes. Following loading, the cuvettes can be automatically separated in the instrument in accordance with the invention and can be conveyed by a suitable means for use in the aforementioned analytical procedure.